We have developed a multi-viewpoint 3D camera system. The playback system is on a different PC than the acquisition system. To be able to process video in real time, we need to transfer the video from the 3D camera system to the processing/playback PC. This is important not only for playing back of the video stream, but for calibration and alignment of the cameras as well. Our previous approach was time consuming. Frames were captured from the 3D camera system, converted into a movie format, and transferred to the playback PC. We repeated this until all the cameras were in alignment to produce a multi-viewpoint 3D movie.
In film, the term 3-D (or 3D) is used to describe any visual presentation system that attempts to maintain or recreate moving images of the third dimension, the illusion of depth as seen by the viewer. The 3D technique usually involves filming two images simultaneously, with two cameras positioned side by side, generally facing each other and filming at a 90 degree angle via mirrors, in perfect synchronization with each other and each camera having identical technical characteristics. When viewed in such a way that each eye sees its photographed counterpart, the viewer's visual cortex will interpret the pair of images as a single three-dimensional image. The advance of 3D cameras makes it possible to capture multiple viewpoints at once and without the use of mirrors. A 3D camera looks like a normal digital camera but generally has two lenses and two sensors that take an image of the foreground and the background of any scene. A processor within the camera blends the two images. However, to properly obtain multiple viewpoints alignment of the multiple cameras is still critical and the cameras must be synchronized. The present invention can utilize 3D cameras or single lens cameras and a special projection screen.
If the cameras are out of alignment the eyes cannot fuse the images together into a 3D scene. Being able to stream the video from the 3D camera system to the playback system would greatly speed up the process of properly aligning the cameras. Camera positions could be changed for calibration and the results could be quickly seen on the playback system.